Question

edgar allan poe’s “the tell - tale heart”
analyzing word choice
as you read the passage, highlight words that help reveal the
tone.
i showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. in the
enthusiasm of my confidence, i brought chairs into the room,
and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while i myself,
in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seal
upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the
victim.
—“the tell - tale heart,”
edgar allan poe
which words help you understand the tone you should use when
reading the passage aloud?
“chairs” and “fatigues”
“confidence” and “triumph”
“spot” and “beneath”
, what is the tone of the passage?

Explanation:

The passage shows the narrator feeling proud and unshaken after committing a murder, with words that emphasize his bold self-assurance. "Confidence" directly states his self-assurance, and "triumph" highlights his pride in his perceived successful crime, which shapes the arrogant, self-assured tone of the passage. The other word pairs do not focus on the narrator's tone of smug confidence: "chairs" and "fatigues" relate to the police's actions, while "spot" and "beneath" only reference the victim's location.

Answer:

"confidence" and "triumph"

The tone of the passage is smug, arrogant, and self-assured (the narrator feels proud and unshaken by his crime, showing bold confidence in avoiding detection).